Important Forum Information

**Therese Martin** · #1 Jan 18, '06, 1:26 pm

Pregnancy/Parenting Threads now belong in the new Parenting sub-forum. We'll be moving threads there as the need arises (so check there first if you suddenly find your Family Life thread missing), but you can help the process by placing threads related to pregnancy and parenting into that sub-forum. Thanks!

**Therese Martin** · #2 Feb 6, '07, 12:28 pm

Forum moderator:

Zelie Louis

If you experience difficulty in the Family Life Forum, please use the private message system to contact the forum moderator, Zelie Louis.

Joe Monahan · #3 Mar 21, '07, 12:56 am

Banned Topics List

Catholic Answers has an obligation to protect our members and assure that the Forums remain a respected discussion environment in which members feel secure in participating.

To achieve this, it is necessary to ban certain topics, content, and posting techniques. If you are unsure whether or not something falls within the scope of this list, inquire of a moderator privately, before posting

Advocating violence or threatening a person or institution
Inappropriate language or graphics (crude, obscene, rude, vulgar, or blasphemous)
Pornography and links to pornographic sites or sites which host links to or advertise pornographic sites
Sexually explicit or graphically violent material or content that is inappropriate for non-adult members or might offend adult members
Hate material and links to sites that promote bigotry, hatred, or prejudice toward those of any race, religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality
Derogatory terms characterizing a class of people by religion (Papists, Prods, Fundies), political affiliation, or national/ethnic origin
Blatantly disrespectful characterization of any faith, ("Rome is the Whore of Babylon", “Nazarenes are Holy-Rollers”, “Jews are Christ-killers”, "Muslims are terrorists") its tenets, practices, or adherents
Proselytizing Catholics or encouraging them to leave the Church
Debating moderator action, including discussing, disputing, or speculating as to why a member’s posting privileges were restricted, why posted messages were edited or deleted, or why threads were closed or removed from public fora
Posts in circumvention of a restriction, suspension, or ban imposed by staff
Solicitation of personal information (e.g., age, income, or location), beyond that freely offered by members through inclusion in their public profiles
Identifiable information pertaining to individuals, including the names of non-public personages who have not consented to being identified, their mailing or e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, or details of their private life (or such information - not already in the public domain - which relates to a public personage who has not consented to it being revealed)
E-mail or private correspondence from a third party
Discussion of political candidates, including posts that name a candidate, allude to a particular candidate, use euphemisms for a candidate, or refer to surrogates for a particular candidate
Rumored "conversions in process" that involve third parties, particularly public figures. Exception: If the possible conversion is itself a news story, that news story may be discussed in the Catholic News sub-forum so long as a link to the news story is provided in the original post
Encouraging “swarming” of other forums to engage in debate of anti-Catholic postings there
Links to blatantly anti-Catholic sites, except as a valid reference point for discussion
Addresses or telephone numbers of individuals, institutions, or commercial enterprises to promote activity that might negatively affect another’s life or business operations
Identifying individual parishes, clergy, or hierarchs as “unfaithful to the Magisterium”, guilty of “liturgical abuse”, or otherwise engaged in unacceptable or unpopular practices, based on personal “knowledge” or opinion
Soliciting or proffering financial, legal, medical, or mental health advice
Asserting credentials as a clergyman, religious, theologian, or legal or medical professional, on which members might rely to their detriment, when the credentials cannot be verified to the satisfaction of CA staff
Lengthy excerpts of articles or publications that exceed standards for “reasonable use” (generally no more than three paragraphs) or might otherwise be construed to infringe copyright
Unlinked news stories or those not linked to a publicly accessible website (one that does not require registration or payment)
Intentionally deceptive material, including plagiarism (presenting another's work as one's own) or text attributable to or quoting others that has been altered
False statements maliciously made to defame another’s reputation
Promoting unapproved apparitions and revelations (those not approved by the Church for private or public devotion) or alleged private locutions
Soliciting business for any commercial enterprise without prior approval by CA staff
Soliciting donations for any individual or institution without prior approval by CA staff
Spamming (multiple or repetitious messages consisting of identical or nearly identical text or links without substantive commentary)
Using “sock puppet” identities to deceive others, promote an agenda, bolster one's own credibility, filibuster, or engage in debate with oneself in furtherance of a point of view

From time to time, it may be necessary to adopt content rules applicable to individual forums because of their particular nature. Members should periodically review the Posting Guidelines of forums in which they regularly participate

Joe Monahan · #4 Apr 11, '07, 1:35 am

Please review the forum descriptions before deciding in which to begin your thread.

Ask an Apologist - get expert answers to questions on Catholicism - read this first

Karl Keating's E-Letter - react to it here, pro or con

Radio - offer feedback or discuss Catholic Answers Live

This Rock - talk about articles in CA's magazine

New Projects - be informed about upcoming CA endeavors

Apologetics - learn to respond to questions about and challenges to your Faith, including effective presentation techniques, examine historical controversies

Sacred Scripture - discuss the Bible, including translational issues and exegisis

Moral Theology - explore moral implications and ramifications of Church doctrine and dilemmas affecting you and find the answer to the question, "Is this a sin?"

Social Justice - dialogue about Church teaching with societal implications, pro-life/pro-choice issues, just war doctrine, human rights

Traditional Catholicism - talk about the Traditional Latin Mass, the Indult, SSPX, sedevacantism

Eastern Christianity - learn the history, spirituality, and practices of Eastern & Oriental Churches, Catholic and Orthodox

Non-Catholic Religions - explore the history and beliefs of non-Catholic and non-Christian faiths, dialogue with their adherents

Liturgy & Sacraments - discuss Mass and Sacraments, roles of ordinary and extraordinary ministers, liturgical music, church etiquette, the "other" Western Rites (Ambrosian, Bragan, and Mozarabic), Anglican Usage

Family Life - talk with peers about marriage, educational concerns, interpersonal relationships, family planning, other aspects of daily family life

Parenting - chat with others about coping with the joys, sorrows, practicalities, and challenges of raising children

Evangelization - meet with others involved in religious education, catechesis, RCIA, CCD, and missionary outreach, compare experiences, learn from one another

Spirituality - learn about Catholic apostolates, Secular and Third Orders, prayer, fasting, sacramentals, devotionals, Saints, your own spirituality

Prayer Intentions - post prayer requests, respond to those of others, participate in perpetual prayers

Vocations - discuss discernment of your own vocation to the religious, married, or single life; share your experiences with others; get information on diocesan and secular priestly formation and on religious orders

Popular Media - dialogue about our culture, including art, magazines, books, computers, television, radio, music, theatre, and the performing arts

Catholic News - talk about news events involving the Church, its leaders, and the laity

Secular News - share perspectives and analyses of current events in our country and the world

War on Terror - discuss emotional, social, and spiritual concerns involved in reacting to terrorism

If your topic doesn't fit criteria for any forum, try the Back Fence - a mix of the ridiculous and sublime, or The Clubhouse - chat there is light, but can be educational

Finally, the Concierge Desk - a collection of subforums designed to meet your needs, visit it to: get or offer Tech Support; better understand forum use through Mini-Tutorials; familiarize yourself with the Rules of the Road; and, even test forum features in the Sandbox

With these choices, everyone should find a forum to meet their needs. Enjoy yourself, and use the Suggestion Box to let us know what we can do to make your experience better.

**Zelie Louis** · #5 Feb 1, '08, 5:15 pm

Discussion pertaining to childhood vaccinations is no longer permitted within the Family Life or Parenting forums. The issue is best discussed with medical professionals who are familiar with one's own family and personal set of circumstances. Thank you for your cooperation.